Crystal Palace v Manchester City matchday programme 2324

Crystal Palace √ manchester city

sat 6 apr 2024 12:30 kick-off

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palace √ manchester city sat 6 apr | 12:30

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08 Captain

10 chairman 41 ben bailey smith 44 PALACE FOR ALL 46 academy 52 history makers 54 From the Archive 56 RETRO PALACE 62 PALACE FOR LIFE 69 BEAT BRIGHTY 70 stats & results

Directors Chairman Steve Parish, David Blitzer, Joshua Harris, John Textor Chief Financial Officer Sean O’Loughlin Sporting Director Dougie Freedman Club Secretary Christine Dowdeswell Head of Sports Medicine Dr. Imtiaz Ahmad Academy Director Gary Issott Director of U21 Development Mark Bright Chief Operating Officer Sharon Lacey Chief Commercial Officer Barry Webber General Counsel David Nichol Head of Ticketing Paul McGowan Head of Retail Foz Bowers Head of Marketing Matt Franks Head of Safeguarding Cassi Wright Head Groundsman Bruce Elliott

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There are going to be high expectations because they are quality players, but I think it’s up to them to take that into their stride and really show what they can do. We always speak and I’ve tried to help

Editor Will Robinson Design Billy Cooke, Stu Ellmer, Lucas Gough

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Contributors Ian King, Robin Johnson, Toby Jagmohan, Tommy Macarthur, Doc Brown, Simon Bajkowski Photography Neil Everitt, Sebastian Frej, Pinnacle Photo Agency, Toby Jagmohan, Getty Printer Bishops Printers

contents

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palace √ manchester city sat 6 apr | 12:30

NO ROOM FOR RACISM This round of Premier League fixtures marks the Premier League’s No Room for Racism campaign, which is a chance for clubs to come together to reinforce important messaging around our collective commitment to improving diversity and fighting discrimination.

Football is a diverse sport which brings together communities and cultures.

This diversity makes the game stronger and we are working to ensure this is reflected

across all areas of the games.

In this issue you can find out more about our Palace For All campaign (page 46) and the Foundation’s award-winning work (page 62).

Everybody has a role to play to ensure football is inclusive for all – together we can make it clear there is no room for racism or for any form of discrimination.

Anyone found guilty of discrimination will face punishment, including legal prosecutions and stadium bans. The League and clubs are committed to working

with the authorities to bring offenders to justice.

Football is everyone’s game. We can all play a role in reporting racist abuse. If you see it, challenge it and report it below.

On this day 6 apr 1970 Bert Head’s Palace made it a league double over Manchester City in their final game of the league season, ultimately securing their survival after Man City beat relegation rivals Sheffield Wednesday two weeks later.

Roger Hoy was the hero against Joe Mercer and Malcolm Allison’s side.

Scan this QR code to quickly, safely and easily report worries, concerns or abuse. You can even do so anonymously.

briefing

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Thank you once again for such a warm welcome to Selhurst Park, and welcome to Pep Guardiola and his Manchester City players and staff for this afternoon’s game.

I

t has been several weeks since our last home game.

Our mid-season trip to Marbella was important. We stayed together for as much time as possible, had training sessions and meetings, and it was five days with perfect conditions before we split again with players heading to their national teams.

We have come back after the international break and straight away we have three games in one week, which doesn’t leave too much time for training.

We are of course not satisfied with the results in the last two matches, but I think the performances were better than the one point we have earned. We are creating dangerous situations, but our output is not enough. We have seen progress in entering the final third, and we see progress in terms of defending – in how many opportunities we give the opponent – but the results are not what we could have and this is what we are working on. We cannot blame anybody else like the weather, the referees or the VAR, we just have to speak about what

We are of course not satisfied with the results in the last two matches, but I think the performances were better than the one point we have earned.

We are creating dangerous situations, but our output is not enough

manager

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we can change and what we can improve to have a better output.

Three games in quick succession is something we have to get used to. I like to play in this rhythm, and the players also like to compete; they like to play games much more than they like training. It means we use the meeting room for our tactical training because we can’t do a lot on the pitch after recovery, so it is important that the players are focused, concentrated and this will be important today against Man City. I don’t always expect three steps at once, but small steps forwards – and maybe there will be a half-step back, like I felt against Bournemouth, but we will recover and keep making progress to move forwards even further.

Our travelling fans were excellent against Nottingham Forest and Bournemouth, so I would like to say thank you.

This was also the case in our last home game against Luton, which was very disappointing for all of us with a goal in the last second, but you applauded the team after the result because you could see we worked hard for the win. At Bournemouth, in terrible conditions on a week night, the support was amazing and although we lost you applauded the team, because you could see we were trying everything to win the game. It’s easy to applaud when you win but not so easy when results are difficult, so I really appreciate this support.

We go into this game to win it.

We know that Man City are very confident in possession, and there will be moments without the ball, but it is particularly in these moments that we need you

manager

I would like to take this opportunity to pay tribute to Joel Ward. I have only been working with Joel for six weeks now but it was immediately clear to me that he is a top professional, he deserves to be captain of this club and that he is Palace with every fibre of his being. When he crosses the white line you can feel that, so huge congratulations to him for reaching 300 Premier League appearances for this club.

Since the Bosman ruling, there are not many players who have reached 300 Premier League games for one team, so it is a huge achievement.

Now we are back at Selhurst Park after almost a month. It is unusual during the season to go this long without a home game.

We need your support in all our games, but especially in a game like this against one of the most successful teams in recent years.

We go into this game to win it.

We know that Man City are very confident in possession, and there will be moments without the ball, but it is particularly in these moments that we need you. For the players, that noise can give renewed confidence, so I hope that you will support the teams like you did in the last games from the first minute until the last. We need Selhurst as its best! I look forward to seeing you all again

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captain

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Every match in the Premier League is decided by such fine margins, and this was the case once again against Bournemouth as we were unfortunate to come away with nothing.

A

fter the performance we put in, I think we should have come away with at least a point, but sometimes you don’t get the rub of the green. That’s football. We thought we had a deserved lead in the first-half but the narrowest of offsides saw the goal ruled out, so it was one of those games where things didn’t quite drop our way. While it is annoying to come away with nothing, there are lessons to learn and we take them into this weekend.

Remember, we have played just five games under the new manager, so we are continuously on a path to try to improve in the areas we need to improve in. You can never stop learning, and we need to develop in this new system. That does take time, but there have been encouraging signs throughout these few weeks and we are making strides in the right direction.

Soon, performances will begin translating to points.

For me personally, it was an honour to be the first person to reach 300 Premier League

appearance for this club. I have been lucky enough to play alongside some phenomenal players along the way, work under some fantastic managers and coaches, and experience some of the best atmospheres in

You can never stop learning, and we need to develop in this new system. That does take time, but there have been encouraging signs throughout these few weeks

the Premier League – none better than at Selhurst Park.

Some of my favourite games we have played have been against Manchester City, and we have some special memories of results against today’s opposition. captain

However, this remains one of the toughest fixtures of the season and we are going to have to be at our very best to get anything from the game. This doesn’t just mean winning individual duels, but also working as a team, with the togetherness and the unity that we have been working on under the manager.

We also need your support, from the first whistle to the last. It has been almost a month since our last game at Selhurst Park and we have been looking forward to getting back out there ever since. Every member of the squad knows what an incredible atmosphere you can create in south London, and I know you will be ready to get behind us today to give us a real chance of getting a result. I cannot wait to see you all again, and I hope we can put in a performance that will make you proud.

God Bless. JW

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Welcome to the supporters, players, staff and directors of Manchester City to Selhurst Park for today’s match. Welcome as always to each and every Crystal Palace supporter here to get behind the team.

T

oday’s round of matches in the Premier League mark No Room for Racism, and the players will be taking the knee before kick-off to mark our ongoing commitment here at Crystal Palace, and across the league as a whole, to fighting discrimination both on and off the pitch.

The break between fixtures allowed Oliver to take the players to Marbella for a week, which was a valuable time for the squad to become more familiar with the new coaching staff, and to get some extra time on the training pitch. We were unfortunate to return to Premier League action with back-to-back away games and are disappointed to only get one point from two very good away performances, but we all feel that we are making good progress under Oliver and his coaching staff and if we continue to work hard the points will come.

Huge congratulations to Joel on becoming the first Palace player to reach 300 Premier League appearances for the club. It is an extraordinary achievement and one that I’m sure Joel may not have

Huge congratulations to Joel on becoming the first Palace player to reach 300 Premier League appearances for the club. It is an extraordinary achievement

chairman

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envisaged when he joined us as a 22-year-old in the Championship. We as a club have benefitted for more than a decade from his dedication, professionalism and leadership on the pitch and off it.

I must congratulate Joachim, Jordan, Jefferson, Daniel and Adam for their international recognition, and particularly Chris as the United States lifted the CONCACAF Nations League title. It was disappointing that what should have been a positive break for Sam saw him return from the England camp with injury, and we are all wishing him the speediest of recoveries. Five of our women’s players have also been called up by their countries, so good luck to Izzy, Abbie, Elise, Araya and Lexi in the upcoming break.

Speaking of Palace Women, what a fantastic occasion it was at Selhurst Park against Watford, as a club-record 5,566 supporters saw Laura’s side pick up three more crucial points. Your support is so important to the team as they battle for the title this season, so make sure you get your tickets for the final day top-of-the-table clash against Sunderland at Selhurst Park on Sunday, 28th April (14:00 BST), which are on sale now.

The Under-21s are also in action at Selhurst, facing Everton in the semi-final of the Premier League International Cup. Having beaten some of the best academies in Europe, the boys are looking to reach a second successive final and could use your support – that game takes place on Tuesday, 16th April (19:00 BST).

what a fantastic occasion it was at Selhurst Park against Watford, as a club-record 5,566 supporters saw a Laura’s side pick up three more crucial points.

Your support is so important to the team as they battle for the title this season

chairman

Finally, the Crystal Palace Beer Festival returns this year to celebrate 100 years of football at Selhurst Park.

It is always a fantastic occasion with over 100 beers to sample, great food, live entertainment and the chance to watch the FA Cup final on the big screens at the stadium. I hope to see many of you there.

It doesn’t get much tougher than facing Manchester City in the Premier League, but we have earned some memorable results in these games both at the Etihad and in south London, and I know Oliver and his side will be giving everything this afternoon to earn another. After a long break without Premier League football at Selhurst Park, let’s get right behind the team from kick-off and remind everyone how special the atmosphere can be.

Up the Palace

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After reaching a significant milestone last weekend, Jeff Schlupp sits down with Will Robinson to talk Premier League memories, Manchester City upsets and a Crystal Palace side for the future…

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W

hen you ask footballers about milestones, they often pretend they are not interested. The focus is just on the next game, comes the clichéd answer; they can look back on milestones once they are retired. The force of the media training is strong with this one.

It is refreshing, then, to see Jeff Schlupp fail to conceal a broad smile when we tell him that he has hit the milestone of 200 Premier League games for Crystal Palace – only the fourth man to reach such an achievement. Having arrived as a Premier League winner from Leicester City as a 24-year-old, he has become a mainstay and a leader, a regular for manager after manager, and all while playing at (count them) left-back, centre-back, wing-back, centremidfield, No. 10, left-wing, right-wing and, twice, centre-forward.

“Wow, 200 Premier League games? I didn’t know that, to be fair,” he says upon hearing his tally for the first time. Having hit the doublecentury against Nottingham Forest last weekend, it feels right that he should celebrate the milestone around the visit of Manchester City, who have provided so many special memories for Palace fans in recent years.

We ask Schlupp for his standout memories. “There have been some great moments – those night games against Arsenal at home, they were special,” he says. “But City, obviously.

Everyone only talks about Andros [Townsend’s] goal – I happen to have scored a goal in that game! It was a massive win, 3-2 away from home.

There have been some great moments – those night games against Arsenal at home, they were special, But City, obviously.

Everyone only talks about Andros [Townsend’s] goal - I happen to have scored a goal in that game! It was a massive win, 3-2 away from home

Jeffrey schlupp

“It was a good goal as well! But when Andros does that, I can’t blame him…” Townsend’s 35-yard volley was nominated for a Puskas Award, but Schlupp’s was just as important in sealing a famous win. Palace have been something of a blight for Manchester City in Guardiola’s tenure, with Schlupp playing a major part.

“Our record is reasonably good, but it’s never been easy,” he admits.

“We’ve gone there and got some good results, but to get good results you need to have luck on your side.

You make your own luck, I guess, but with teams like that you almost need more.

“They’ve had players sent off before and we’ve gone on to win, but our record is pretty good compared to other teams. We came back from

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there have been some great moments Jeffrey schlupp

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Talent and potentialwise, it’s got to be right up there Jeffrey schlupp

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2-0 down in December and we could have won it in the end.”

Schlupp has played alongside some fantastic players at Selhurst Park, but he ranks this current side as having the possibility to grow into something special. “Talent and potential-wise, it’s got to be right up there,” he says. “I’ve been in other teams where, no disrespect to anyone, but it was an older squad. Potentialwise everyone was at their peak or coming to the end of their peak.

“It was different. It was more of an experienced side, grinding through games. Now, you can really see the talent. We have a much younger squad, and Dougie [Freedman] and the team have done so well in bringing in these quality young players.

“I think the time is coming now to where those players are going to start getting into their peaks. It’s a very, very exciting future ahead.”

With so many young players gaining significant Premier League experience, the squad is not just growing in ability, but in tactical nous and Premier League know-how.

“There are a few players now that have been here for three or four years and you have seen them get to the beginning of their primes,” Schlupp explains. “You’ve got T [Tyrick Mitchell], you’ve got Michael [Olise], you’ve got Ebs [Eze].

“Those young boys are stepping into that 24 or 25-years-old age group, which is normally the beginning of your peak. It’s great to see. There are going to be high expectations because they are quality players, but I think it’s up to them to

It was different.

It was more of an experienced side, grinding through games.

Now, you can really see the talent. We have a much younger squad, and Dougie [Freedman] and the team have done so well in bringing in these quality young players

Jeffrey schlupp

take that into their stride and really show what they can do.

“We’re a close group. We always speak and I’ve tried to help, especially when they first started coming through, but they are growing into young men now. They have had the experience now. They know what they are doing, and we obviously try to help if they need help. We’ll speak.

“But I think they are good enough players to take on the advice that they are getting from coaches and really show it themselves now.”

That same advice applies to the even younger generation: 18-year-old David Ozoh, 20-year-old Matheus França and 21-year-old Jesurun RakSakyi, amongst others.

“We clown around in the changing room and we try to get

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everyone as involved as we can,” Schlupp says. “We understand that for the foreign players it can be harder for them, but they are obviously picking it up and they are trying to speak English. That’s important.

“We need to gel as quick as we can and help the younger boys come through as quickly as possible so they are comfortable. The more comfortable they are around the boys, the more their football is going to show on the pitch. “[David] has been with us for a little while now. I would say a couple of years since he started training with us. He obviously had Paddy [McCarthy] as his coach with the Under-21s, and Paddy is always helping him along. Seeing him come into the first-team as a man, and not a young boy coming on any more, he’s done well.

“He played a massive part coming on against City, for example, getting back to 2-2. He’s been thrown in the deep end and he’s really held his own which is nice to see.”

Under new manager Oliver Glasner, there has been a significant shift in the style of play, and an intense focus on fitness – but it hasn’t all been running drills and bleep tests.

Footage of the mid-season break to Marbella showed team bonding drills with players racing to do keepy-uppies while wrapped in an enormous circle, or running while tied to one another, amidst a lot of laughter and smiling faces.

“It was definitely heavy on fitness,” Schlupp says. “It was hot, and it was tough, tough work. But it was all good work, and stuff that

We need to gel as quick as we can and help the younger boys come through as quickly as possible so they are comfortable.

The more comfortable they are around the boys, the more their football is going to show on the pitch

Jeffrey schlupp

we needed to do. We worked on tactics. There was obviously some team bonding as well. Everyone got to know each other more with the new staff.

“We had everyone in a band, five people within a circle holding hands and trying to move as one unit.

Even just keeping the ball up, running in a circle and being connected.

It’s sort of game tactics, but also making it fun and a warm-up drill.

Communicating and trying to move as one. It was a bit of fun, but it was trying to work together.”

Now, it’s time to show that team spirit and togetherness on the pitch. “We’ve been going through a tough spell, so something that is very important to him is everyone being together, working for each other and helping each other,” Schlupp says.

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something that is very important to him is everyone being together Jeffrey schlupp

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You need winners and we’ve had them Jeffrey schlupp

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“We’ve taken it on board.

Everyone has upped it to a whole other level, fitness-wise and workrate-wise, and I think it will show in the games. It’s definitely stuff we needed to do.

“He has to get us used to playing in a different shape, and we have to get used to the manager wanting us to do different things.

It’s going to take time. You can see where his thoughts are with it, and that helps everyone as we keep working at it.”

The key, once again, seems to be communication. “It’s great – it’s almost as if we’ve known each other for way longer than it has been. The coaches are all really easy going. They tell us what they want us to do, and as long as we follow instructions and give our best everything is going to run smoothly.

It has been a great introduction to each other.”

Schlupp’s versatility has made him an asset for every Crystal Palace manager he has worked with, and his 200 Premier League games with the club are his reward. Happy to play anywhere, always keen to improve his game and with the experience of the biggest fixtures to boot, it is easy to see why each new boss takes to him so quickly.

In a young squad under Oliver Glasner, he takes on a new role: that of the experienced leader in the dressing room, able to guide the younger players in their journey from breakthrough first-team cameos to battle-hardened top-flight regulars.

He is a Premier League champion, after all.

it’s almost as if we’ve known each other for way longer than it has been. The coaches are all really easy going. They tell us what they want us to do, and as long as we follow instructions and give our best everything is going to run smoothly

Jeffrey schlupp

“You need winners and we’ve had them. Macca [James McArthur] had won the the FA Cup, and Gary Cahill had won everything. I think it’s always important to have that mentality in there. Chris Richards has won stuff with the United States and Bayern Munich. You need people used to winning stuff to let that feed into the other players.”

The run-in is the time for cool heads and Schlupp can see an exciting future ahead for this team.

As he begins the latest chapter of his Palace career under Glasner, it is a future in which he intends to play a part

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the follow -up

This season, we’re putting your questions to members of the Palace squad. To have a chance of seeing your question answered by a first-team star, just head to cpfc.co.uk and submit your burning enquiries…

Jeffrey schlupp

Who was your footballing idol?

James Staniforth I was an Arsenal fan, so my first idol was Thierry Henry. I was a striker coming through at the time, and naturally when I looked at the best in the world it was Henry. I moved to England in 2003, so the invincibles onwards.

Which sports do you enjoy other than football?

Michael Piggott I started watching Drive to Survive during lockdown on Netflix and that got me in a chokehold, so I would probably say Formula 1. I’d tune in from the practise through to the race and watch all the interviews afterwards.

What is your favourite film or TV show?

Steven Anker Favourite film is Man on Fire – Denzel Washington is the number one actor for me. TV show is a close one, but it’s probably between Game of Thrones and Sons of Anarchy.

Where is your ideal holiday?

If you could play alongside one legend, who would it be?

Richard Hart Same answer! I was coming through the ranks at Leicester as a striker, so he was always the one. Easy answer. the follow-up

Sarah Robinson I would go to Dubai and do nothing!

Just kick back and do absolutely nothing…

Got a question?

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manchester city

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Opposition preview After their cagey goalless draw against Arsenal on Sunday failed to live up to its billing as a title blockbuster, Manchester City reminded everyone on Wednesday why it would be foolish to ever count them out of a title race.

Phil Foden’s sublime hat-trick saw Pep Guardiola’s side ease to a 4-1 victory against Unai Emery’s surprise packages this season, with both Kevin De Bruyne and Erling Haaland given the night off in advance of this weekend.

After a blip in November, which uncharacteristically saw City win just once in six league games – culminating in Crystal Palace’s recovery from two goals down at the Etihad – they have been in imperious form, unbeaten in 15 now

this season pos

pts

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Top Scorer erling haaland (18) Most assists Julian Álvarez (8)

mancity

manchester city as they keep the pressure up on Arsenal and Liverpool at the top of the table.

Unlike the sides of yesteryear, however, City are finding it difficult to beat the teams around them. They have taken just three points from a possible 12 against their title rivals, and it is this struggle which has set up this run-in to be the tightest battle for the title in recent memory.

Guardiola’s side are still competing on three fronts. They face Chelsea in the FA Cup semi-final, while Real Madrid stand in their way of Champions League progress.

The narratives abound. Can City spoil Klopp’s farewell? Can Mikel Arteta, Guardiola’s former assistant manager, get one over his mentor? Can City become the first side to win four in a row? It’s set to be some conclusion.

Manager Pep Guardiola -

The greatest manager of the modern generation, Guardiola’s career in European football has been as transformative as it has successful. His Barcelona side will go down as one of the greatest in the history of the game, with success at Bayern Munich and in England cementing his legacy.

manchester city

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Starting xi

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M. Kovacic

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M. Akanji

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E. Haaland

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J. Gvardiol

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K. De Bruyne

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Rodri

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S. Gómez

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B. Silva

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M. Nunes

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J. Doku

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O. Bobb

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P. Foden

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M. Susoho

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BOOT IN BOTH CAMPS Sun Jihai Sun, alongside Fan Zhiyi, became the first Chinese player to feature in the English leagues when they arrived at Palace in 1998. In 2002 he moved to Man City, making more than 150 appearances.

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30 October 2021 Etihad

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14 March 2022 selhurst park

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manchester city

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briefing What’s the story?

Manchester City began their existence as St Marks, named after the church which had sought to curb gang violence by creating a new pastime for young men in the local area. The team quickly made progress, winning promotion to the First Division in 1899 and the FA Cup in 1904, narrowly missing out on a league and cup double.

This golden period was blighted by accusations of financial irregularities, however, and in 1906 the manager Tom Maley was banned from football for life while 17 players were given significant punishment.

After the charges were proven, City were forced by the Football Association to auction their players, with many bought by emerging local rivals Manchester

United and going on to win the club’s first league title.

City moved into Maine Road in 1923, reaching back-toback FA Cup finals in the 1930s and winning the latter against Portsmouth. Their attendance of 84,569 in the 1934 quarterfinal remained the record home attendance in English football history, until Tottenham Hotspur’s temporary move to Wembley. A first title followed in 1937, before a shock relegation the following season despite being the league’s highest scorers.

After the war City triumphed in the FA Cup again, winning the famous 1956 final which saw goalkeeper Bert Trautmann play on despite sustaining a broken neck.

League success evaded them, however, until the arrival of Joe Mercer and assistant manager

Malcolm Allison in 1965. The duo guided City to the title in 1968, the FA Cup in 1969 and the Cup Winners’ Cup in 1970, bringing in future legends like Colin Bell and Mike Summerbee.

A long period of decline saw them slip out of the Premier League shortly after its founding, and in 1998 they became only the second ever winners of a European trophy to be relegated to their country’s third tier. A return to the top-flight and a move to the City of Manchester Stadium, initially built for the 2002 Commonwealth Games, stabilised the club.

In 2008, they were transformed by the arrival of Sheikh Mansour, a member of the Abu Dhabi Royal Family, who invested deeply in creating the modern day Manchester City, which has won seven league titles since.

Season 2012/13

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manchester city

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the greatest manager Joe Mercer Manchester City’s first golden era came under the tenure of the former Arsenal defender, alongside assistant manager and future Palace boss Malcolm Allison.

Taking over in 1965, he won the Second Division title at the first time of asking before winning the club’s first title since 1937 the following year. An FA Cup, League Cup and European Cup Winners’ Cup followed, as Maine Road became a hotbed of trophies.

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Bert Trautmann

manchester city √ birmingham city fa cup 5th May 1956 / Wembley Stadium

Known as the ‘Trautmann final’, the Wembley showpiece saw one of the great displays of heroics in the modern game.

With Man City leading in the second-half, goalkeeper Bert Trautmann dived at the feet of Peter Murphy to win the ball. He was knocked unconscious, but with no substitutes City would have to play on with 10. Instead, Trautmann rose to his feet and played on – unaware that he had broken his neck.

manchester city

A paratrooper for the Luftwaffe during World War II, Trautmann was captured by the British army and taken to a prisoner of war camp.

Upon his release, he stayed in Lancashire and caught the eye of Manchester City, with whom he signed a contract in 1949. Fans protested his arrival – anti-German sentiment was still pervasive after the war – but his performances soon silenced any doubters. His most famous moment came in the 1956 FA Cup final, when, in the era before substitutes, he played on despite sustaining a broken neck.

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Ederson became Pep Guardiola’s new long-term No. 1 in 2017, after Claudio Bravo had replaced Joe Hart for a single season upon the manager’s arrival.

He competes with Liverpool’s Alisson for the Brazil No. 1 spot.

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age

33

Walker turned down a move to Bayern Munich over summer to stay at Man City. At 33-years-old, he remains one of England’s most important players and will have a huge say at the Euros this summer.

manchester city

31

05 24

Josko Gvardiol pos

defender

nat

croatia

age

22

Manchester City spent almost £80 million on Gvardiol to bolster their options in defence, where he has spent his debut Premier League season fighting for a spot at centre-back or at left-back.

21 25

John Stones

Sergio Gómez

DEFENDER england age

29

height

6ft 2in

joined

2016

from In partnership with Guardiola, Stones has quietly revolutionised the centreback position in the Premier League, becoming a playmaking defender and a crucial part of Man City’s modern success.

Manuel Akanji

pos

defender

pos

defender

nat age

spain

nat

switzerland

23

age

28

pos

defender

pos

midfielder

nat

england

nat

croatia

age

19

age

29

82 08 Rico Lewis

Mateo Kovacić

manchester city

47

32

Phil Foden pos

FORWARD

nat

england

age

23

16

Foden has blossomed under Guardiola into one of the Premier League’s standout players, leaving England fans salivating over the potential link-up with the likes of Jude Bellingham and Harry Kane this summer.

17 20

Rodri Kevin De Bruyne

Bernardo Silva

pos

MIDFIELDER

nat age

MIDFIELDER

pos

MIDFIELDER

belgium

nat

portugal

32

age

29

27 56 Matheus Nunes

Jacob Wright

pos

midfielder

pos

midfielder

nat

portugal

nat

england

age

25

age

18

manchester city

spain age

27

height

6ft 3in

joined

2019

from All four of Man City’s defeats this season have come with Rodri suspended, demonstrating his status as their most important player. He moved to the Etihad for £63 million a year after signing for Atletico Madrid.

33

10 11 09 Jack Grealish

Jérémy Doku

pos

forward

pos

FORWARD

nat

england

nat

belgium

age

28

age

21

52 92 Oscar Bobb

Micah Hamilton

pos

forward

nat age

FORWARD

pos

FORWARD

norway

nat

england

20

age

20

19

Erling Haaland

Julian Álvarez pos

FORWARD

nat

argentina

age

24

Álvarez joined Man City from River Plate in January 2022, and has matched club success with an incredible international record, winning both the Copa America and the World Cup in his 28 caps with Argentina.

manchester city

norway age

23

height

6ft 4in

joined

2022

from Haaland has not stopped scoring since his huge-money move from the Bundesliga in 2022, breaking the record for the most goals in a single Premier League season in his debut campaign.

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Delivered by:

Stat zone

17

Man City are unbeaten in their last eight Premier League away games against Palace (W6 D2), since a 2-1 loss in April 2015.

02 47

67

Apps

220

clean sheets

47

tackles

329

tackle success

60%

interceptions

254

clearances

890

headed clearances

489

goals

18

assists

8

passes

10,402

passes per match

47.28

midfielder

Kevin De Bruyne

red cards

Apps

252

goals

65

assists

107

passes

12,706

passes per match

50.42

06

played 27 4

7

16

20

goals

53

3

penalties won

2

2

penalties scored

1

5

clean sheets

15

47

yellow cards

31

0

red cards

1

1

23/24 season goals 34

172

accurate through balls

667

crosses

1,749

cross accuracy

25%

50 29

average possession 65.3% 42.1%

pass accuracy 88.1% 76.5%

tackles

309

interceptions

114

recoveries

1,102

clean sheets 6 9

tackles 598 372

manchester city

defender

Nathan Aké

big chances missed

67

conceded

36

Eagle Eye Simon Bajkowski is the Chief Manchester City Writer at the Manchester Evening News. He has covered City home and away since Pep Guardiola’s arrival in 2016.

Is this the most competitive title-race in Guardiola’s tenure?

Probably, although the three current contenders aren't as good as City and Liverpool were in the 2018/19 campaign. City are in a position where they can realistically win all of their remaining eight games and still not win the league, and having to rely on two good teams slipping up is not where they want to be.

I think each team has already done enough to be deserving winners, so from that point of view it has been a unique title race for Guardiola at City and probably the closest in the league since 2013/14.

After Klopp’s departure, will Pep soon look for a new challenge or could he pass a decade at the helm?

Nobody knows – and that probably includes Guardiola himself. He has a contract for another year at the Etihad, which will take him to nine, and he has never broken a contract before so it would be a surprise to see him go before then. Whether he could extend again will depend on how he feels at the time in terms of his motivation and his happiness.

He seems to have more energy and more happiness now than he did in his earlier years, and he has spoken recently about not obsessing as much as a manager. But everyone was talking about Klopp's rejuvenation and then he announced he was quitting because he was tired!

When Guardiola does go, I think it will be a similar bombshell out of the blue rather than being heavily trailed.

Who is a name for the future to keep an eye on?

Rico Lewis shone in the Champions League this season and is on Gareth Southgate's radar for England after making his breakthrough under Guardiola last year.

He hasn't quite kicked on in 2024 as he would have liked but Lewis looks like a player that City can rely on for years to come.

He has the versatility to play as a full-back on either side or in midfield and that may have counted against him at times this year but should hold up for the future as he continues to develop under Guardiola.

manchester city

Who is City’s most important player – and whose contribution flies under the radar?

The statistics speak for themselves: Rodri has clocked up over 60 matches without defeat in all competitions for City. He keeps them solid and makes them tick, providing the base for everything good that comes through the team.

Bernardo Silva has flown under the radar and continues to, although that is in part because he doesn't score as many goals as he could. Silva is one of the underrated warriors in the squad but with a silky touch, and usually saves his most significant contributions for games away from home.

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We meet again From memorable meetings to tense transfers to shared stories, Palace have their own personal tale to tell for each of our Premier League opposition this season.

On Monday, 6th April, 54 years ago to this day, Palace welcomed Manchester City to Selhurst Park for a vital final game of the season, as Bert Head’s side strove to avoid relegation in their first-ever season in the top-flight.

The Glaziers’ only away league victory so far that season had come at Maine Road, in a fixture played four days after City had lifted the League Cup at Wembley. This was Palace’s final game but not City’s; it had been brought forward nine days to allow the visitors to complete more of their games as early as possible, in order to aid their progress in the European Cup Winners’ Cup competition, not to mention the forthcoming World Cup finals in Mexico that summer.

Just two days earlier, Palace had lost at Liverpool and so Head made two changes, bringing in Cliff Jackson and Roger Hoy. City, meanwhile, were missing two of their star players in Colin Bell and Francis Lee. As is so often the case with such important games, it was fight and desire rather than quality which decided the game, and the Palace players demonstrated their ‘neversay-die’ attitude. The all-important goal came after just 21 minutes,

as Steve Kember picked out Gerry Queen, who set up the mud-spattered Hoy to prod home.

City introduced Mike Summerbee in the second-half, but John McCormick and Mel Blyth held firm, roared on by vocal support from the home fans. The final whistle meant a narrow victory and two vital points – but still a nervous wait to confirm their First Division status.

In those days, not all clubs finished their seasons on the same day, let alone the same time, so the Glaziers would have to wait 16 days to see if they were overhauled by Sunderland or Sheffield Wednesday.

The Black Cats fell first after losing at home to Liverpool, but if the Owls beat City at Hillsborough, Palace would be relegated.

With no way to follow games live, Palace fans had to wait for results to filter through on the radio to learn that City had scored a winner late on, and that Head and co. were safe for a second season in Division One. manchester city

Palace: J. Jackson, Sewell, Hoadley, Payne, McCormick, Blyth, C. Jackson, Kember, Hoy, Queen, Taylor

Manchester City: Corrigan, Book, Pardoe, Doyle, Booth, Oakes, Carrodus, Donachie, Glennon (Summerbee 62), Towers, Young.

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‘It’ is discrimination, in all its forms.

Racism. Homophobia, Misogyny. Disablism.

If you have seen it or heard it, follow the QR code to report it to Kick It Out. Together, we can put an end to it.

Take action today at kickitout.org arsenal

THROUGH THE LENS

ANOTHER ONE FOR THE COLLECTION

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through the lens

40

WELCOME TO THE CLUB Play Now

arsenal

41

ben bailey-smith

42

Ben Bailey Smith, aka Doc Brown, does it all – acting, rapping, writing, directing, you name it. The multifaceted Palace fan is also a patron of Palace for Life Foundation. In each edition, he offers his unique take on the world in SE25...

THE PURSUIT OF HAPPINESS It feels like absolutely ages since we had a home game to shout about, then all of a sudden we’re back – against one of the best teams in the world. A great test for the OG, a nickname I’ve very much enjoyed bestowing upon our new manager. Although it’s not been an explosive introduction to south London, it’s been progressive in many ways and most importantly, you can see the plan. How you continue to execute said plan against Haaland et al is another issue entirely, but like we often seem to against City, I’m certain we’ll give it a darn good go.

Watching Palace this season has been an almost archetypally bumpy ride, our unwanted label of ‘consistently inconsistent’ proving difficult to shake. To be honest, that side of things – frustrating as it obviously is – I can handle. On an emotional level, what I have been really struggling with is the conceding of late goals. I can’t lie, that fully does my head in. It’s got

to the point now where I’m wary of going ahead in games, purely out of the fear of being pegged back. Now that is nuts. Imagine only half celebrating a goal out of

my first women’s game at Selhurst this season!

Just under six thousand of us basking both in the actual sun and in the shimmering, warming light of a Palace victory that never even remotely looked in doubt fear that it’ll only be cancelled out by an equaliser that hasn’t even happened yet!

No team in the Premier League has conceded more in the 90th minute or later than us – in fact we’re in double figures with that ben bailey-smith

unwanted tally. OG took the boys on warm weather training last month with a focus on remaining calm at the end of games in order to ward off any continuation of this disturbing pattern and to be fair, although we conceded against Forest, as 1-1s go it was a world away from the same scoreline against Luton – now that was harrowing. Spurs, Luton, Forest – we drew first blood in every game and didn’t leave a single one with three points. I could feel the pattern starting to mess with my blood pressure and I left the Luton game considering lobbying the club to add a health warning to every ticket purchase.

What an absolute joy then – and an endorphin-packed emotional health boost – to take in my first women’s game at Selhurst this season! Just under six thousand of us basking both in the actual sun and in the shimmering, warming light of a Palace victory that never even remotely looked in doubt – we were absolutely imperious against Watford. Quick check of the table… hold on a blinking

43

second here – we’re only in the running for promotion to the WSL! A few more big wins and we could see our women lining up at the Emirates next season in front of sixty thousand never mind six!

Incredible. Fifty-six goals they’ve scored at press time so far this season (way more than any other team in the division) – that’s 56 times they’ve managed to deliver huge slices of happiness to us all.

It's pure footballing Prozac.

What was even more incredible was the experience of watching the Eagles with complete confidence that the three points

were in the bag. I’m pretty sure it was the first time in the existence of my two teenaged daughters that they’ve seen me that relaxed in the stands. I contacted Molly Sharpe (who was phenomenal on the day and again in the thrashing of Durham last weekend!) to thank her for the performance but I want to put it in black and white for Laura Kaminski and the whole squad here too, for posterity. Thank you for putting a smile back on my face!

Genuinely so excited to see what we can achieve this season.

It’s so easy to let the beautiful game stress you out and turn ben bailey-smith

ugly. Every once in a while we all need reminding that the ultimate goal is joy – that magical shared experience of joy amongst teammates, fans, staff, complete strangers and nearest and dearest alike – all brought together by this unfathomable love of the Red and Blue. If football can provide any life lessons whatsoever, one of them has to be that happiness is fleeting – it comes and goes for all of us.

So if we do go a goal up today – regardless of the final outcome – I’m gonna enjoy it while it lasts.

UTP!

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Crystal Palace are proudly supporting the Premier League’s No Room For Racism campaign at today’s fixture against Manchester City.

E

very Premier League fixture which takes place between 6th-15th April inclusive will be dedicated to No Room For Racism, as every club comes together to reinforce our collective commitment to improving diversity and fighting discrimination – in both football, and indeed in wider society.

Messaging will be displayed around Selhurst Park in a variety of forms, and players will take the knee ahead of kick-off to show their unity against all forms of discrimination.

Football is a diverse sport, which brings together communities and cultures. This diversity makes the game stronger, and clubs are working to ensure this is reflected across all areas of the game.

Everybody has a role to play to ensure that football is inclusive for all.

As part of the club’s continued commitment to Equality, Diversity and Inclusion, the Palace For All EDI group recently held an internal staff event at Selhurst Park called EDI: First Steps to Change.

The panel discussion set out to engage employees from across the club and Palace for Life Foundation with various EDI spaces, exploring

themes, challenges and barriers with professionals within the industry.

This was conducted with the goal of sparking meaningful discussions which would empower, educate and enhance the club’s commitment to strengthening our EDI strategy for all.

The distinguished panel leading discussions comprised Troy Townsend, recognised for his impactful contributions over 13 years at Kick It Out; Liz Ward, a trailblazer in workplace empowerment and community engagement at Stonewall (an LGBTQ+ human rights organisation); Ebs Rahman, the visionary founder of Nujum Sports, committed to PALACE FOR ALL

fostering inclusivity for Muslim athletes; and Chris Paouros, a seasoned consultant, advisor and respected Charity Trustee.

Guest speakers at the event led conversations – and fielded questions – surrounding a range of subjects.

These included discussing what the term ‘EDI’ constitutes in 2024; where abuse and discrimination can stem from, and the forms it can take; the importance of supportive environments for professionals in the modern game, both on and off the field; and ways in which a football club, and game as a whole, can engage the wider community in these discussions.

45

As one panellist surmised: “We need to create environments where people have a sense of belonging and can be their authentic selves.

“There’s been a lot of talk about belonging, which is really interesting, and people being themselves, and what that sense of belonging is. For me, it’s next to ‘love’ in terms of what people need to function. It’s something to really keep in mind as you’re thinking about these things.”

Another participant said: “Sometimes we have to understand that we have to listen – that's the most important thing. We have to listen first and foremost. People are not X, they're not Y – they're speaking their truth.”

Another panellist suggested it is all of our responsibilities to influence the environment around us: “If there are enough micro-instances, potentially, in an individual's life, where there are enough people around them who do feel comfortable to have a

conversation with them, then that can lead to a slow shift in the right direction.

“Everyone has the potential to change through their own transformational experience.”

how can i help?

At Crystal Palace, we are committed to ensuring that everyone associated with the club is treated with dignity and respect. We operate a zerotolerance policy with regards to discriminatory behaviour.

The Premier League and clubs are urging anyone who witnesses racist abuse to report it, either to the nearest steward, police officer or to our confidential text service on 07507 477 669.

Please include as much relevant information as possible, for example: RACISM, SMOKING, HOMOPHOBIA etc. Please include the stand, block, row and seat number you are in, and also PALACE FOR ALL

identify the location of the antisocial behaviour, being as precise as possible. Please state if you wish to remain anonymous in your message.

Security staff will make every effort to deal with the issue. If they are unable to resolve the issue, each text will be followed up and investigated by a club staff member. You can also contact your nearest steward to report issues, who will do their best to help.

Anybody found guilty of discriminatory abuse towards any club employee, player, match official or supporter will receive an automatic club ban and may face criminal prosecution. The League and clubs are committed to working with the authorities to bring offenders to justice.

Football is everyone’s game.

Let’s celebrate the diversity that makes Crystal Palace so strong. If you see racist abuse, challenge it and report it. Thank you for your continued support

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Crystal Palace Under-21s will face Everton at Selhurst Park on Tuesday, 16th April (19:00 BST) at Selhurst Park in the Premier League International Cup. Here’s everything you need to know about the big clash...

For the second time in as many seasons, Crystal Palace Under-21s have made it to the semi-finals of the Premier League International Cup. In their inaugural entry to the competition last season, Darren Powell’s side progressed all the way to the final, only to be narrowly beaten by PSV Eindhoven, and they are looking to go one better this season.

They started their campaign against Basque giants Athletic

Club back in September, registering a 1-1 draw under the lights at Sutton’s VBS Community Stadium. Seán Grehan headed Palace in front before they were pegged back in the second-half.

Monaco were next up for Palace and they emerged 3-1 winners thanks to Matheus França’s first goal in red and blue and a stunning strike from Malcolm Ebiowei. Roshaun Mathurin rounded off the scoring

Academy

in some style with a well-worked move from back to front.

Their final home game of 2023 saw them take on the Portuguese Eagles, Benfica, as the side looked to regain top spot in the group. An early Mathurin goal along with a second-half strike from Ademola Ola-Adebomi was enough for a 2-1 win to set the side up for their final game of the group against Feyenoord.

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tuesday 16 april | 19:00 bst selhurst park

tickets available from as low as £1 academy

Palace needed just a point against the Dutch outfit to guarantee a place in the last eight and they duly delivered.

Feyenoord took the lead early on, but Luke Plange hit back to equalise and ultimately secure a place in the knockout stages.

Domestic opposition awaited Powell’s side in the quarter-finals, in the shape of Wolverhampton Wanderers. The Eagles comfortably dispatched Wolves with a 3-0 victory, inspired by a brace from Danny Imray and finished off by Mathurin.

Everton are now all that stand between Palace and a place in the final. The Toffees were in the same group as the Eagles and managed a secondplace finish after facing the same four international opponents.

They then faced Fulham in the quarter-finals and came back from a goal down to win 3-1 with first-team players Michael Keane and Youssef Cherniti on the scoresheet.

That result set up the semi-final clash in SE25 and the stakes could not be higher.

Should Palace overcome Everton at Selhurst Park, the prospect of a rematch against PSV Eindhoven could be on the cards.

The Dutch side face West Ham United in the other semi-final of the competition.

Be there on the night to support Powell's Eagles against Everton, with tickets starting from just £1. Head to cpfc.co.uk to buy now!

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Following another high-scoring victory over Durham, Crystal Palace Women have set up an enthralling climax to their 2032/24 Championship title-chasing season…

Last time out, the Eagles smashed their record Championship points tally with a 5-1 win over Durham in their penultimate away game of the season. A brace from Annabel Blanchard, plus further goals from Molly Sharpe, Elise Hughes and Shanade Hopcroft, secured Laura Kaminski’s side the victory at a sunny Maiden Castle. The two teams had gone in level after an evenly-matched first-half, but after the restart, as they so often have done this season, Palace moved up the gears. Neat footwork inside the box allowed Blanchard to restore their lead on 58 minutes. Sharpe’s screamer, Hughes’ fine first-time finish and Hopcroft’s breakaway goal added further gloss to a half the Eagles dominated. The three points saw Palace reach 39 for the season – surpassing the 37 they attained in 2021/22, their highest-ever finish – and in doing so, remain just one point behind league leaders Sunderland, with a game – and their own destinies – in their hands.

Season finale moved to Selhurst Palace’s final-day fixture at home to Sunderland will now be played at Selhurst Park, with both teams looking likely to go down to the wire in an exciting Championship title race.

The Eagles enjoyed a 3-0 win over Watford in front of a record 5,566 fans at Selhurst Park last month, met with spring sunshine, a family-friendly atmosphere and some fantastic football.

Goalscorer Ria Percival said: “The crowd here [at Selhurst] were amazing. It’s good to have so many fans and the crowd were great; they helped us to the three points. Scoring a goal in front of them and hearing

football still to be played between now and the final day of the season – Palace have two other fixtures to fulfil, and Sunderland one – the two sides’ meeting on Sunday 28th April (14:00 BST) could well prove hugely significant.

them go crazy… it’s a great feeling.

“It’s a thanks to all of them for coming, and hopefully we can get them to the rest of the games.”

While there remains plenty of women

Tickets are available via cpfc.co.uk, with prices as low as £5 for Season Ticket holders and Members; Premium seating options are also available for as little as £25.

Tickets are also on sale for the club’s penultimate home fixture of the season against Birmingham City on Sunday, 14th April (14:00 BST), which will be played at the VBS Community Stadium in Sutton.

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Age 29 Position Defender Nationality England Signed

Fliss Gibbons

2022 - Brighton & Hove Albion

A former striker-turned-full-back who tops the Championship assists charts (with eight), Gibbons joined Palace in 2022 after impressing at Charlton, Watford, Millwall, Gillingham and Brighton – helping the latter to win promotion to the Women’s Super League for the very first time.

We caught up with fliss…

What’s the mood like in the dressing room approaching the run-in?

Laura Kaminski and Adam Jeffrey, her assistant, have instilled a real confidence and self-belief within the squad. We have that belief in ourselves and each other, individually and collectively, so credit to them. As a group, we've also been very receptive to what they want us to do.

We've also created a really nice culture this year of high standards, but also looking out for and being supportive of each other.

It sounds very cliché, but it's

true – we're just taking one game at a time. We're not looking too far ahead.

Assess our season so far...

To still be up there at this point of the season is brilliant, but I'd say we've exceeded our own expectations. In terms of our targets for this year, promotion was never one of them originally, so it’s a pleasant surprise to be involved in the race.

I don't want to say it's happened by accident because there's a lot of thought that goes into it, but I think everything has come together really nicely for us. molly sharpe

We have that belief in ourselves and each other, individually and collectively fliss gibbons

It's been a really good season so far, and we hope it continues.

We’ve been so impressive in front of goal…

The scoring record has also not really been part of the plan, but it’s incredibly important. You never know what sort of difference goal difference might make.

The games we've scored a lot of goals in is credit to the strength of our squad. We feel like we have a strong starting XI, but the options we have off the bench means we're able to maintain our performance levels over 90 minutes, so that's probably the key to it.

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51

For more than 150 years, Palace have paved a way into the history books, navigating wild misadventures, cult heroes, political and social changes and all the ups and downs that come with them. Step back into another world…

retro palace

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History Makers Palace players past and tantalising titbits from eras gone by: club historian Ian King takes us through the wacky, weird and wonderful history of Crystal Palace one new tale at a time.

HARVEY ‘JACK’ PRITCHARD

a

Crystal Palace and Manchester City player from the 1930s, but a name that is unlikely to spring straight to mind for fans of either club – but whose Palace contract makes for a good comparison to the modern day.

Pre-printed on a three-page document, with spaces left for the salient details, the contract was signed on 9th June 1937 by a 19-year-old Pritchard. The contract was for a single year, and included the standard stipulations of the day: an agreement to play in an ‘efficient manner’ and to the best of his ability, to keep himself in the best possible condition, and to observe all the rules, regulations and bylaws of the Football Association.

Pay was agreed at four pounds and 10 shillings per week

for the first two months, and five pounds and 10 shillings from then on. There would be an additional one pound and 10 shillings were allotted for bonuses for playing in the first-team in the league or the FA Cup. In today’s money, Pritchard would be earning less in a year than most of today’s opposition squad make in a single day.

history makers

Pritchard joined from his hometown club Coventry, making his debut on the opening day of the 1937/38 season. He was everpresent on either wing, scoring in a famous 4-0 victory over Queens Park Rangers at Selhurst Park in March 1938. His skills saw him become coveted by other clubs, and four days later he transferred to First Division Manchester City for ‘a substantial sum’.

The outbreak of World War Two cut short a promising career, allowing him just 25 appearances for the Citizens. After the war, he played for Southend United and Folkestone Town, passing away in May 2000.

53

debuts and curtain calls The final game of the 1969/70 season against Man City saw goalscorer Roger Hoy and forward Cliff Jackson make their final appearances for the club. Three years later, John Craven and David Payne bade farewell to Selhurst Park against the same opposition.

The club’s return to the top-flight came at Maine Road in 1979, where the club’s thenrecord signings Gerry Francis and Mike Flanagan made their debuts. Goalkeeper George Wood was among five players to start their Palace career against City in August 1985, while in May 1988 club captain and record appearance holder Jim Cannon, along with Tony Finnagan, said farewell against the Sky Blues.

Ray Houghton began his Palace career against City in April 1995; Jason Puncheon ended his against them in December 2018.

weird and wonderful In the summer of 1958, following the departure of ManagerSecretary Cyril Spiers, Margaret Montague became the club’s Secretary and is believed to be the first female secretary of a Football League club.

‘Monty’, as she was known, had joined the club in 1949 as a junior shorthand typist helping behind the scenes until she was appointed in her own right. She married in 1961, and two years later in December 1963 decided to leave to have a family after seeing the club through one promotion and

the start of another. Upon her departure the club praise here her efficiency, loyalty and courtesy.

Her trailblazing lives on today via Christine Dowdeswell, who joined the club in 1999 and has been our Club Secretary since 2004.

Brief encounters rochdale The club was founded in 1907 and continues to play at its Spotland Ground to this day. The club was invited to join the new Football League Division Three North in 1921, but was relegated into Division Four in 1959. Under the management of former Palace player Tony Collins, they reached the League Cup final but lost over two legs to Norwich City.

There were just two seasons of football between the two in Division Four, with Palace winning twice at Selhurst Park. In 1970 the clubs met in the League Cup, while in 1990 the Dale reached the FA Cup fifth round for the only time, beaten by the Eagles. history makers

Rochdale reached the Third Division again in 1969 but were relegated in 1974, staying in the bottom-tier for 36 years. There followed seasons of yo-yoing before relegation to the National League last season

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Times have changed over Crystal Palace’s rich and storied history. In each edition, we dust off the archive and reprint a story from one of the club’s historical programmes. This week, we hear from one of life’s real heroes…

Crystal Palace √ manchester city – 14 april 2019

h

ow many days does it take to return to work after finding yourself at the epicentre of a terror attack? Two. That is all policeman and Palace fan Leon McLeod took from off from work before returning, despite being out on the frontline when the London Borough Market terror attacks hit in the June of 2017.

Recalling the events of that night, it is quite clear from talking to Leon that it still doesn’t feel real: “It was just a normal night shift and my colleague, Wayne (Marques) and myself were chatting about the Champions League final, what we were going to have for dinner…the usual chat, when we heard a noise 100 yards away where Borough Market is… someone came up to us and said somebody had been stabbed, but even then we didn’t realise the scale of what was going on.

“At no point was I particularly thinking ‘I have to do this, I have FROM THE ARCHIVE

55

to do that’ – it was honestly all just autopilot; I just knew I had to do something.” Leon’s colleague, Wayne, was brutally stabbed in the head that night. Thankfully, Leon was able to help people and come away from the scene unharmed physically, but the emotional scars still linger on.

“There was no pressure from work to return,” Leon explained, “I just felt like I needed to not hide away from this feeling and get back to normal and part of it was testing myself to see if I still felt comfortable in that environment.

My mentality has always been that you have always to get back up and get on with life – in hindsight, though, I did that too quickly.

At no point was I particularly thinking ‘I have to do this, I have to do that’ – it was honestly all just autopilot; I just knew I had to do something “I reached out to a couple of organisations, and I was aware of PTSD999 - a service that offers emotional support to officers who need a way to ‘come out of the other side’ from the traumas and experiences they’ve witnessed. But even then I didn’t get massively involved with them, not until therapy sessions made me realise how much I needed it.

“I have to admit that it was always on offer to me but I didn’t take it up because I didn’t know there was something wrong. When I did realise, I still didn’t attribute it to mental health and my wellbeing.”

Leon has come a long way in almost two years. It is a testament to himself, his network of family, friends and work colleagues that he is now able to talk so openly about the events of that night, not only for his own rehabilitation but for others out there who have been through similar experiences.

Growing up, lots of kids dream of becoming a policeman and it has a lot to do with the uniform – the closest they can get to being a real life superhero.

And interestingly, the feeling of invincibility by pulling on those iconic blues doesn’t subside as you get older and realise those dreams: “I wore my uniform when I went to see Wayne in hospital and I suppose, again, that was me testing myself to see if it felt right.

Initially it didn’t: you put this uniform on and it does make you feel safer and more confident. However, the first few times I put it on, it had lost this feeling and took several outings to get that feeling back.”

Wayne has now also returned to work since the horrendous injuries suffered and Leon is well on the path to dealing with what happened to him and his colleagues on that horrific night in London, and it is things like his love for Crystal Palace that have helped his journey. “It becomes more important to do things like go to FROM THE ARCHIVE

Crystal Palace games. There are times when you just don’t want to get out of bed but it is massively important to drag yourself away.

“It was more surreal going out at Selhurst at half-time than meeting the Queen when I was awarded the Gallantry medal at Buckingham Palace! It is my club and for them to have backed me; I appreciate

There are times when you just don’t want to get out of bed but it is massively important to drag yourself away it so much and it has made me love my little club even more.”

Leon does acknowledge that his road to recovery from the events at Borough Market isn’t complete, in spite of his progress so far: “I still have my down days. However, after being awarded the Gallantry medal I realised I was now in a situation to truly make a difference and raise money for mental health awareness, which is why I’m running the London Marathon this year to raise money for PTSD999.

“If I can help just one person, I will be happy.”

.

This article is reprinted verbatim.

Editor’s note: Leon went on to run the London Marathon, raising nearly £10,000 for charity.

56

2001

two thousand

and one

Football, fashion, music and more – step back in time to an era that had it all…

At the

manager: steve kember

but winning just two games between February and April.

Local legend Steve Kember was appointed caretaker manager for the season’s final two games against fellow strugglers Portsmouth and Stockport County, with the Eagles in 22nd place. After beating Portsmouth, Palace knew they needed to win at Edgeley Park to secure their Division One status.

Go for it they did, starting three strikers in Dougie Freedman, Clinton Morrison and Mikael Forssell, but by half-time they were still struggling to break down the Stockport defence. At the break, Huddersfield Town were trailing; three points for Palace would mean safety.

t

he months leading up to Palace’s do-or-die showdown with Stockport County were nothing short of chaotic. After a hit-and-miss first half of the season, the turn of the year saw the Eagles’ form dip massively, losing to Liverpool in a League Cup semi-final retro palace

There was still no breakthrough, however, and the tension began to rise as hopes faded in the away end.

Then, with just minutes to go, bedlam. Freedman raced on to Morrison’s through ball, sent the defender the wrong way and smashed past the goalkeeper.

As things stood, safety.

A nervous wait followed, as fans tuned into radios to follow the results at Huddersfield.

Full-time at Edgeley Park was half-celebrated, as the action went on in Yorkshire – but then confirmation of Huddersfield’s defeat, and Palace were safe, with Freedman writing his name into the club’s folklore.

Music

57

top 5 singles 1

It Wasn’t Me

Shaggy

2

Can’t Get You Out of My Head

Kylie Minogue

3

Whole Again

Atomic Kitten

4

Teenage Dirtbag

Wheatus

5

Can We Fix It?

Bob the Builder

Games

Films

Has the footballing world ever been more divided? Just as the FIFA franchise believed it would enjoy a future of unrivalled dominance, a new rival hit the shelves: Pro Evolution Soccer.

Initially released in Japan as World Soccer: Winning Eleven 5 (much catchier, we know), it led to countless memorable clashes between the Manchester Reds and the London Blues.

1

Harry Potter and the Philosopher’s Stone

2

Shrek

3

Monsters, Inc.

4

The Fast and the Furious

5

Ocean's Eleven

19 february The foot and mouth crisis begins 09 january Sven-Göran Eriksson begins his tenure as England manager

07 june The Labour Party wins a second successive landslide victory 15 april Manchester United are crowned Premier League champions for a third successive season

11 september Terror attacks on the World Trade Centre and other targets kill 2,977 people in the United States

09 november The first film the Harry Potter series premieres in London

12 may Michael Owen scores two late goals as Liverpool beat Arsenal to win the FA Cup at the Millennium Stadium

06 october A late free-kick from David Beckham seals England’s qualification for the 2002 World Cup at Old Trafford

retro palace

58

Unlocking the power of pitches The Football Foundation is the Premier League, The FA and the Government’s charity.

We award grants and work with partners to deliver outstanding grassroots football facilities across England.

Search Football Foundation to find out more

59

engine

60

SHOWROOMS

www.boydentiles.co.uk

61

inside palace

62

FIVE MINUTES WITH...

To mark the Premier League’s ongoing No Room For Racism campaign, we caught up with Targeted Intervention Youth Worker and recently appointed Race Equality Lead Cordell Lake-Benjamin about his decision to take up the role and his experience of winning at the Football Black List ceremony.

be doing is creating an interactive wall in our office with facts and information relating to diversity in our area and what we can all do as staff at the Foundation to ensure everyone feels included.

One of the main reasons I went for the role is because it’s something that’s really close to me.

I’ve always been really passionate about equality and making sure everyone gets a fair chance.

Hi Cordell – can you tell us a little bit about your roles at Palace for Life?

My role is Targeted Intervention Youth Worker, and I was just appointed Race Equality Lead in the last few weeks too. As part of the Targeted Intervention Team, I conduct one-to-one mentoring within the community and at schools to help steer young people away from criminality and trouble.

As for my recent, additional role as Race Equality Lead in the Equality, Diversity, and Inclusion

(EDI) team, I’m responsible for promoting and embedding diversity within the Foundation and making sure everybody has an equal opportunity to be heard and succeed no matter their race.

What made you apply for the role of Race Equality Lead, and what are you looking to achieve?

I’m mainly looking forward to expressing the ideas I’ve had in my head for a while now. I don’t want to give too much away, but one of the first things I am going to foundation

What do you do in or outside of work to make sure everyone gets a fair chance?

Away from my work at Palace, I coach a football team called Parkside FC based in Tolworth, and I’m the EDI lead there, too. I try and make sure everyone has equal opportunities, no matter their background. We have coaches coming through from a variety of backgrounds, which is really good to see. At work, for me, it’s simply to just to make sure everyone’s getting a fair chance and feels listened to.

63

How important is it that people from a variety of different backgrounds are provided positive role models?

It’s extremely important to make sure we have all sorts of role models. People I work with come from a range of backgrounds, but many of them come from disadvantaged ones. So, when they look up and see people who have been successful and doing amazing things, I hope that they can see someone like themselves so they believe that they can be successful, too.

You were recently awarded with the Community + Grassroots award at the Football Black List Ceremony, what was that like?

It was amazing! Last year, I was lucky enough to receive the ‘Ones to Watch’ award, which to me was like: ‘OK, you have potential!’ then this year, winning the ‘Community and Grassroots’ Award, it was like:

‘You are achieving your potential, and you are successful.’ That really hit home and felt so rewarding.

At the ceremony, I met some lovely people. It was even better because some people who I look up to already knew who I was! Troy Townsend, who’s the Head of ‘Kick It Out,’ an anti-racist organisation, and Sayce Holmes-Lewis, the CEO of the mentoring company Mentivity, both knew who I was, which surprised me and gave me a great confidence boost.

A lot of the work I do at Palace for Life can’t always be publicised or spoken about because of confidentiality, so sometimes I question if I’m doing a good job or not. But it’s the little things like when parents come back to you and say, “Look, my child is doing so well” or when a referral comes back and says, “You’re doing a brilliant job”, that always feels the most rewarding, so the award on top of that sort of feedback was great

.

No Room for Racism is an ongoing campaign from the Premier League and participating clubs to come together and remind fans that

Support Palace for Life in our mission to raise £1 million to help us transform thousands of more young south Londoners’ lives.

discrimination has no place in our game. All matches between 6th and 15th April are dedicated to the campaign. However, wide-ranging work is carried out year-round

by Crystal Palace and Palace for Life to ensure that all areas of the game are more diverse.

For more information Palace for Life, or to help our team do more work to support young south Londoners, head to palaceforlife.org.

foundation

donate a pint from your pre-match routine below

64

Every day is a busy one at the Palace, from matchdays – men’s, women’s and Academy – to anniversaries, birthdays to events. Keep track of everything happening at the club right here…

06 apr

06 apr

palace u18S √ norwich | 12:00

07 apr

palace √ man city | 12:30 LIVE on

08 apr

07 apr

08 apr

1990

1991 Palace beat Everton at Wembley to win the ZDS Cup.

Luka Milivojevic turns 33 today.

palace u21S √ everton | 19:00 LIVE on what’s on?

Palace beat Liverpool 4-3 at Villa Park to reach a first FA Cup final.

65

09 apr

11 apr

12 apr 2015

2023 Palace smash five past Leeds at Elland Road.

Yannick Bolasie scores a hat-trick as Palace beat Sunderland 4-1.

palace women √ birmingham city | 14:00

liverpool √ palace | 14:00

southampton √ palace u18S | 12:00

LIVE on

LIVE on

17 apr

16 apr

LIVE on

13 apr

14 apr

14 apr

palace u21S √ chelsea | 19:00

19 apr

1969 palace u21S √ everton | 19:00 LIVE on

Will Hughes turns 29 today.

Palace reach the topflight for the first time.

All times BST. Head to cpfc.co.uk for more details and ticketing information.

what’s on?

66

The page for supporters: taking your comments from the terraces into the programme. Want to get in touch? Use the details below.

Happy birthday Jake and Josh Tombs.

Hope you enjoy the game. Love Grandma, Grandad and all the family X

Happy Birthday Finlay! Love Jude, Mam and Dad! Eagles!

Derek James Lockyer, 1946-2024.

A Palace fan his whole life and an ambassador season ticket holder for the past 20. His family are all devoted Palace fans and will miss him dearly along with many who knew him in the Malcolm Allison lounge. Rest in Peace, South London and Proud. Love Moira, Keith, Mark, Harry and Charlie.

Happy belated 13th Birthday Thomas AKA the middle finger kid, hope you have a wonderful game and an enjoyable birthday, love Mum, Dad, Ivy, Amelia and the pets. XXX

Happy 75th dad. Thanks for getting me into supporting Palace. Have a great day. Paul and Susan

Happy 10th birthday Jack. Enjoy the match. Love from Mum, Dad and Thomas x

from the terraces

Happy 70th Birthday for tomorrow Dad! With love from Tom, Pad and all the lads in Block B.

Happy Birthday Luce! Have a great day supporting the Palace... Eaglessss. Lots of Love, Char x

67

Happy Birthday Daddy! Hope we win for you today (and my first game!) Lots of Love, Harry xxx

In loving memory of Bjarne Johansen.

Father, friend, coach and Norway’s biggest Palace-supporter. His kindness will keep on living like the spirit of Crystal Palace. Thank you for everything. Mari + Kristian

To: Daniella, Looking forward to a lifetime with you. Dane

Happy 19th birthday to lifelong Palace fan and Season Ticket holder Liam – and good luck running the Brighton marathon tomorrow raising funds for Parkinson’s UK.

On 22 March Andi Richards passed away, aged 45. An incredibly passionate fan, well known to the Lower Holmesdale and away day supporters. Truly larger than life, father of two, he loved a laugh, loved Palace and loved shouting 'Delaney' at every corner, even after Damo departed!

Goodbye my friend.

Happy 80th birthday Peter. Love the family!

Happy 70th birthday Colin Reynolds!

Seven decades of being an Eagles season ticket holder… Let’s hope a win against Man City is your birthday present!! With love from all the family x

Happy birthday Michelle Grossett Brown! From Mum, Melissa and Michael

Wishing lifelong Palace fan Ben James a Happy 51st Birthday! 46 years since Dad’s first game standing on Grandad’s fishing box. Love from Mum, Nerea, Sophie, Ollie and family xx

Email programme@cpfc.co.uk with a message of 30 words or Wishing Barry a very happy birthday!

Enjoy your day. With love from Sue, family and friends

from the terraces

fewer and an image to feature on our messageboard.

68

Meet today’s mascots, prepare for a visit to the Anfield, relive a party spoiler and pit your wits against Brighty below.

Zachary Battersby

Elliot Stollery

Harry hart

AGE:

AGE:

AGE:

12

SCORE PREDICTION:

1-1

8

SCORE PREDICTION:

1-2

10

SCORE PREDICTION:

3-1

Hudson Watmore

Sid Mankelow

Rex Pammant

AGE:

AGE:

AGE:

6

SCORE PREDICTION:

1-1

12

SCORE PREDICTION:

2-1

9

Want to feature as a mascot? Email: liam.connery@cpfc.co.uk

round-up

SCORE PREDICTION:

1-6

69

next up: liverpool Palace head to the Anfield to take on Liverpool on Sunday, 14th April (14:00 BST).

Best memory: Palace set about spoiling Steven Gerrard’s Anfield farewell, as goals from Jason Puncheon, Wilfried Zaha and Glenn Murray saw the Eagles run out 3-1 winners on the penultimate weekend of the 2014/15 season.

Travel: Trains head to Liverpool Lime Street from London Euston, which is a nine-minute taxi ride from the stadium.

Alternatively, fans can catch the 17, 17A, 19, 20, 21, 310 or 345 buses from Queen Square outside in the direction of Anfield.

Pre-match: The Arkles outside Anfield has traditionally welcomed away fans in the past, while the Thomas Frost and Flat Iron have also been known to allow away supporters.

BEAT BRIGHTY In each edition, club icon Mark Bright calls it how he sees it and predicts events from the weekend’s football.

See how you fare and try to Beat Brighty!

Scoring: One point for every correct result, three for a correct scoreline.

Brighty

You

2-0 1-2 0-2 1-2 total Manage to Beat Brighty? Keep track of your score above.

round-up

70

team stats: women/U21S/U18S Ria Percival scored her first goal for the club as Palace beat Watford in front of a record crowd at Selhurst Park.

Rohaun Mathurin made his first appearance in a Palace first-team squad, making the bench last weekend.

Benji Casey has scored five goals in his first four appearances for the Under-18s.

Home fixture Away fixture Cup fixture International Cup fixture (Crystal Palace score shown first)

AUGUST Sun 27

Reading

D 1-1

SEPTEMBER Sun 3

Birmingham City

W 2-1

Sun 10

Durham

W 9-1

Sun 17

Sunderland

D 1-1

Blackburn Rovers

W 4-0

OCTOBER Sun 8

Wed 11 Lewes

D 1-1

Sun 15

London City Lionesses

W 6-1

Sun 22

Charlton Athletic

L 2-3

NOVEMBER Sun 5

Watford

W 3-0

Sun 12

Lewes

W 3-2

Sun 19

Southampton

Wed 22 Watford

L 3-4 W 3-0

DECEMBER Sun 10

Chatham Town

W 6-0

Sun 17

Reading

D 1-1

JANUARY Sun 14

Blackburn Rovers

W 3-1

Sun 21

London City Lionesses

W 2-0

Wed 24 London City Lionesses

L 1-2

Sun 28

L 0-1

Charlton Athletic

FEBRUARY Sun 4

Southampton

W 2-1

Sun 11

Chelsea

L 0-1

Sun 18

Blackburn Rovers

W 4-0 W 1-0

MARCH Sun 10

Sheffield United

Sun 17

Sheffield United

L 0-2

Sun 24

Watford

W 3-0

Sun 31

Durham

W 5-1

APRIL Sun 14

Birmingham City

Sun 21

Lewes

Sun 28

Sunderland

AUGUST Mon 14 Manchester United W Sun 20 Reading L Mon 28 Fulham L SEPTEMBER Fri 1 Wolverhampton Wanderers L Fri 15 Middlesbrough W Tue 19 Wycombe Wanderers L Sat 23 Nottingham Forest L Wed 27 Athletic Bilbao D OCTOBER Sun 1 Liverpool L Tue 24 Monaco W Mon 30 West Bromwich Albion W NOVEMBER Fri 3 Leeds United W Tue 7 AFC Wimbledon L Fri 10 Ipswich Town L Tue 14 Stevenage L Fri 24 Birmingham City W december Sat 2 Manchester City W Wed 6 Benfica W Mon 11 Middlesbrough L Mon 18 West Ham United L JANUARY Sun 14 Blackburn Rovers D Wed 17 Feyenoord D Mon 22 Birmingham City W Fri 26 Brighton & Hove Albion W FEBRUARY Mon 5 Ipswich Town W Mon 19 Leicester City D Mon 26 Wolves W MARCH Fri 1 Leicester City W Mon 4 Stoke City W Mon 11 Aston Villa W Fri 15 Southampton L APRIL Thu 4 Fulham Mon 8 Everton Fri 12 Chelsea Tue 16 Everton Sun 28 Middlesbrough TBC TBC Tottenham Hotspur

women/u21S/u18S

3-2 0-2 2-5 2-3 6-2 0-1 3-4 1-1 2-4 3-1 3-0 7-1 0-2 2-4 2-5 4-1 3-0 2-1 0-4 1-5 3-3 1-1 3-0 2-1 1-0 1-1 3-0 3-2 3-1 4-2 0-4

AUGUST Sat 12 Southampton Sat 19 Chelsea Sat 26 Reading SEPTEMBER Sat 2 Liverpool Sat 16 Leicester City Sat 23 Fulham Sat 30 Brighton & Hove Albion OCTOBER Sat 28 Arsenal NOVEMBER Sat 4 Tottenham Hotspur Sat 11 West Bromwich Albion Thu 16 Newcastle United Sat 25 Fulham DECEMBER Thu 7 Plymouth Argyle Sat 16 Aston Villa January Sat 6 West Ham United Tue 16 Hull City Sat 20 Leicester City Sat 27 Fulham FEBRUARY Sat 3 Aston Villa Thu 8 Chelsea Sat 17 Brighton & Hove Albion MARCH Sat 2 Manchester United Sat 9 Chelsea Sat 16 Arsenal Tue 19 Norwich City Sat 30 West Bromwich Albion APRIL Sat 6 Norwich City Sat 13 Southampton Sat 20 Tottenham Hotspur Sat 27 Aston Villa may Sat 4 West Ham United Sat 11 Reading

W 5-0 L 1-2 W 2-1 W D L D

6-1 1-1 3-4 3-3

D 3-3 W W L W

5-2 2-1 1-4 5-4

W 2-1 W 3-2 L W D W

4-5 5-0 1-1 4-2

W 3-0 L 1-2 L 2-4 L L L W W

0-5 0-1 3-8 4-1 2-1

71

women Name

u21s

Apps

Goals

Chloe ARTHUR

21

1

Izzy ATKINSON

7

1

Keira BARRY

1

1

Annabel BLANCHARD

20

12

Name

u18s Name

Apps

Tayo ADARAMOLA

Apps 9

Kai-Reece ADAMS-COLLMAN

19

Asher AGBINONE

2

Asher AGBINONE

13

Victor AKINWALE

20

Cormac AUSTIN

15

Cormac AUSTIN

1

Justin DEVENNY

23 2

Goals

3

Goals

4

Luke BROWNE

1

Rio CARDINES

23

1

Benji CASEY

4

5

Araya DENNIS

23

3

Chima EZE

Polly DORAN

8

1

Craig FARQUHAR

7

Chris FRANCIS

17

Freddie COWIN

11

Sean GREHAN

17

2

Matteo DASHI

24

4

Danny IMRAY

28

8

Jesse DERRY

22

15

23

1

Aimee EVERETT

24

2

Anna FILBEY

19

1

Felicity GIBBONS

21

Jackson IZQUIERDO

4

Billy EASTWOOD

20

Caleb KPORHA

3

Leon ELLIOTT

4

Zach MARSH

6

Joe GIBBARD

14

Roshaun MATHURIN

30

9

Jake GRANTE

23

Hindolo MUSTAPHA

6

1

Adler NASCIMENTO

8

Zack HENRY

2

Ademola OLA-ADEBOMI

18

Shauna GUYATT

1

Shanade HOPCROFT

24

5

Elise HUGHES

25

22

Annabel JOHNSON

4

Frances KITCHING

12

2

6

7

Joseph KHOSHABA

0

3

1

George KING

25

22

3

Caleb KPORHA

1

Abbie LARKIN

3

Jesurun RAK-SAKYI

Natalia NEGRI

10

Jadan RAYMOND

24

Ria PERCIVAL

10

Alexia POTTER

18

Kirsten REILLY

21

Molly SHARPE

25

Isabella SIBLEY

7

Lucy WATSON

8

3 1 1 1 9

19

David OZOH

16

Hayley NOLAN

3

Mofe JEMIDE

Luke PLANGE

Demi LAMBOURNE

Ellie NOBLE

13

Marcus HILL

6

Dylan REID

17

Finley MARJORAM

3

Kaden RODNEY

16

Zach MARSH

19

24

Joe SHERIDAN

20

Hindolo MUSTAPHA

19

4

Franco UMEH

24

1

1

Noah WATSON

22

David OBOU Olaoluwa OMOBOLAJI

6

Caleb REDHEAD

15

1

Charlie WALKER-SMITH

4

Sebastian WILLIAMS

1

Tyler WHYTE

12

1

Vonnte WILLIAMS

3

Sebastian WILLIAMS

25

3

F

A GD Pts

Jack WELLS-MORRISON

23

Joe WHITWORTH

26

Tyler WHYTE

9

5

All statistics correct as of 17:00 Thursday, 4th April – see full tables at cpfc.co.uk. pos CLUB P W D

L

1

4 31 17 +14 40

sun

20 12 4

F

A GD Pts

pos CLUB P W D

L

10 rea

5 27 33 -6 27

16 8

3

F

A GD Pts

pos CLUB P W D

L

3

5 52 42 +10 32

tot

17 10 2

2

cry

19 12 3

4 52 20 +32 39

11

sun

16 7

4

5 36 28 +8 25

4

ars

17 9

4

4 48 30 +18 31

3

sou

20 12 0

8 36 22 +14 36

12 mun

15 7

2

6 47 34 +13 23

5

ful

19 10

1

8 48 40 +8 31

4

cha

19 10 6

3 27 17 +10 36

13 cry

16 7

2

7 39 38 +1 23

6

cry

18 8

4

6 48 42 +6 28

5

bir

19 10 3

6 32 17 +15 33

14 stk

17

1

9 35 48 -13 22

7

lei

19 6

7

6 37 41 -4 25

6

shu

20 9

2

9 31 27 +4 29

15 nor

17 6

2

9 39 37 +2 20

8

bha

17 6

4

7 37 43 -6 22

7

bla

19 9

2

8 21 27 -6 29

16 sou

16 6

2

8 37 38 -1 20

9

wba

17 6

2

9 30 45 -15 20

7

women/u21S/u18S

ALL-TIME

may

april

march

february

january

december

nov

october

september

AUGust

Sat 12

Sheffield United

31,194

W

1-0

5th

Mon 21

Arsenal

24,189

L

0-1

11th

Sat 26

Brentford

16,997

D

1-1

11th

Tue 29

Plymouth Argyle

15,826

W

4-2

Second round

Sun 3

Wolverhampton Wanderers

24,741

W

3-2

7th

Sat 16

Aston Villa

40,809

L

1-3

9th

Sat 23

Fulham

25,072

D

0-0

10th

Tue 26

Manchester United

72,842

L

0-3

Third round

Sat 30

Manchester United

73,428

W

1-0

9th

Sat 7

Nottingham Forest

25,125

D

0-0

9th

Sat 21

Newcastle United

52,189

L

0-4

11th

Fri 27

Tottenham Hotspur

25,074

L

1-2

13th

Sat 4

Burnley

21,578

W

2-0

11th

Sat 11

Everton

25,103

L

2-3

13th

Sat 25

Luton Town

11,029

L

1-2

13th

Sun 3

West Ham United

62,459

D

1-1

12th

Wed 6

Bournemouth

24,104

L

0-2

14th

Sat 9

Liverpool

25,103

L

1-2

15th

Sat 16

Manchester City

53,384

D

2-2

15th

Thu 21

Brighton & Hove Albion

24,171

D

1-1

15th

Wed 27

Chelsea

39,618

L

1-2

15th

Sat 30

Brentford

25,472

W

3-1

14th

Thu 4

Everton

24,489

D

0-0

Third round

Wed 17

Everton

37,796

L

0-1

Third round

Sat 20

Arsenal

60,284

L

0-5

15th

Tue 30

Sheffield United

23,644

W

3-2

14th

Sat 3

Brighton & Hove Albion

31,345

L

1-4

14th

Mon 12

Chelsea

25,110

L

1-3

15th

Mon 19

Everton

38,164

D

1-1

15th

Sat 24

Burnley

24,042

W

3-0

13th

Sat 2

Tottenham Hotspur

61,339

L

1-3

14th

Sat 9

Luton Town

25,103

D

1-1

14th

Sat 30

Nottingham Forest

29,520

D

1-1

14th

Tue 2

Bournemouth

TBC

L

0-1

14th

Sat 6

Manchester City

12:30

Sun 14

Liverpool

14:00

Sun 21

West Ham United

15:00

Wed 24

Newcastle United

20:00

Sat 27

Fulham

15:00

Sat 4

Manchester United

15:00

Sat 11

Wolverhampton Wanderers

15:00

Sun 19

Aston Villa

16:00

Jefferson Lerma

Position

Michael Olise

Result

Marc Guéhi

attendance/ KICK-OFF

James Tomkins

Opposition

Rob Holding

Date

Tyrick Mitchell

Home fixture Away fixture Cup fixture (Crystal Palace score shown first) Started Used sub Unused sub Goal(s) Yellow card Red card

Joel Ward

23/24 FIXTURES & RESULTS

Sam Johnstone

72

1

2

3

4

5

6

7

8

palace Career Appearances

34 357 136

1

135 108 82 28

palace Career goals

0

0

10

fixtures & results

6

2

5

12

1

Eberechi Eze Matheus França Daniel Muñoz Jean-Philippe Mateta Jeffrey Schlupp Joachim Andersen Nathaniel Clyne Will Hughes Adam Wharton

Dean Henderson

9 10 11 12 14 15 16 17 19 20 22 23 26 28 29 30

204 117

12

8

98 224 104 211 76

8

94

5

34 47 27

12

23

0

0

19

0

20

0

1

0

21

18

3

1

2

0

1

2

91

2

0

0

0

3

0

0

fixtures & results

44 45 48 49 51 52 53 55 60 61

10

1

13

0

0

0

0

0

0

0

0

0

0

0

Franco Umeh

Ademola Ola-Adebomi

Luke Plange

Tayo Adaramola

Roshaun Mathurin

1

0

Jadan Raymond

41

David Ozoh

Jairo Riedewald

36

Kaden Rodney

Joe Whitworth

31

Jesurun Rak-Sakyi

Nathan Ferguson

0

Remi Matthews

Naouirou Ahamada

Cheick Doucouré

Chris Richards

Malcolm Ebiowei

Odsonne Edouard

Jordan Ayew

73

74

23/24 PREMIER LEAGUE TABLE

pos

Club

P

W

D

L

F

A

GD

Pts

1

liverpool

29

20

7

2

67

27

+40

67

2

arsenal

29

20

5

4

70

24

+46

65

3

manchester city

29

19

7

3

63

28

+35

64

4

aston villa

30

18

5

7

62

42

+20

59

5

tottenham hotspur

30

17

6

7

62

44

+18

57

6

manchester united

29

15

3

11

40

40

0

48

7

west ham united

31

12

9

10

50

55

-5

45

8

newcastle united

30

13

5

12

64

52

+12

44

9

brighton & hove albion

29

11

9

9

51

46

+5

42

10

wolverhampton wanderers

30

12

6

12

43

47

-4

42

11

bournemouth

30

11

8

11

44

53

-9

41

12

chelsea

28

11

7

10

49

47

+2

40

13

fulham

31

11

6

14

47

50

-3

39

14

crystal palace

30

7

9

14

34

50

-16

30

15

brentford

30

7

6

17

42

55

-13

27

16

everton*

30

8

8

14

31

42

-11

26

17

nottingham forest*

31

7

8

16

39

53

-14

25

18

luton town

30

5

7

18

43

62

-19

22

19

burnley

31

4

7

20

32

66

-34

19

20

sheffield united

29

3

6

20

27

77

-50

15

*Everton deducted 6 points following a breach of the Premier League’s Profitability and Sustainability Rules *nott'm forest deducted 4 points following a breach of the Premier League’s Profitability and Sustainability Rules All statistics correct as of 17:00 Wednesday, 3rd April.

wolves west ham

aston villa brentford

brighton arsenal

everton burnley

man utd liverpool

fulham newcastle

sheffield utd chelsea

luton bournemouth

spurs nott'm forest

12:30 – Saturday, 6th April

15:00 – Saturday, 6th April

15:00 – Saturday, 6th April

17:30 – Saturday, 6th April

15:00 – Saturday, 6th April

15:30 – Sunday, 7th April

15:00 – Saturday, 6th April

17:30 – Sunday, 7th April

15:00 – Saturday, 6th April

18:00 – Sunday, 7th April

premier league

this week’s fixtures

crystal palace man city

Crystal palace f.c.

Sam JOHNSTONE (GK) Joel WARD Tyrick MITCHELL Rob HOLDING James TOMKINS Marc GUÉHI Michael OLISE Jefferson LERMA Jordan AYEW Ebere EZE Matheus FRANÇA Daniel MUÑOZ Jean-Philippe MATETA Jeffrey SCHLUPP Joachim ANDERSEN Nathaniel CLYNE Will HUGHES Adam WHARTON Odsonne EDOUARD Chris RICHARDS Cheick DOUCOURÉ Naouirou AHAMADA Dean HENDERSON (GK) Remi MATTHEWS (GK) Nathan FERGUSON Joe WHITWORTH (GK) Jaïro RIEDEWALD Jesurun RAK-SAKYI David OZOH Franco UMEH Roshaun MATHURIN

manchester city f.c.

1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 14 15 16 17 19 20 22 26 28 29 30 31 36 41 44 49 52 55 61

2

Kyle WALKER

3

Rúben DIAS

5

John STONES

6

Nathan AKÉ

P. Tierney

8

Mateo KOVAČIĆ

9

Erling HAALAND

S. Ledger M. Wilkes

10

Jack GREALISH

11

Jérémy DOKU

D. Bond S. Attwell S. Massey-Ellis

16

RODRI

17

Kevin DE BRUYNE

18

Stefan ORTEGA (GK)

19

Julián ÁLVAREZ

20

Bernardo SILVA

21

Sergio GÓMEZ

24

Joško GVARDIOL

25

Manuel AKANJI

27

Matheus NUNES

31

EDERSON (GK)

33

Scott CARSON (GK)

47

Phil FODEN

52

Oscar BOBB

56

Jacob WRIGHT

76

Mahamadou SUSOHO

82

Rico LEWIS

92

Micah HAMILTON

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